Auto-fender.



A.L.RAVEN. AUTO FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED HART?, 1911. BENBWED SEPT. 9, 1912.

1,043,460., Patented No?. 5, 1912 in s'rafrns Parana ritten.

, i ARTIE L. RAVEN, OF VISTA GRANDE, GALIFORNIA.

AUTO-FENDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ARTIE L. RAVEN, citizen of the United States. residing at Vista Grande, in the county of San Mateo and State of California, have invented newand useful improvements in Aut-o Fenders, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fenders and particularly to fenders for vehicles.

The object of tl present invention is to provide a devlce adapted to be mounted in front of vehicles, such as automobiles, whereby when the vehicle comes into juxtaposition with an objectI or person in the roadway, the fender is automatically set in operation and catches the object or person, so as to prevent their passing beneath the vehicle; also to provide a fender which may be folded upwardly into a compact position when desired.

The invention consistsot the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which` Figure 1 is a plan view of the device as applied to an automobile. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with parts in section, on the line. X-X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a dctail of one of the driving drums, and ig. 4E is a detaill of the drum releasing` device.

In the illustrated embodiment of my in vention 2 represents a portion yof an automobile supplied with lamps Si. and projecting forward of the `hood ot the automobile is a portion of the chassis t. to which mav be connected a spring 5.

The fender forming the essential portion of the present invention comprises a -l'ramc (S of appropriate designaud strength. pret'- erably sutiieiently wide to extend slightly beyond the side planes of the wheels T ot' the vehicle.v Upon the trame may be securely fastened a t'abric or netting indicated at S. The frame (t may priate manner on the vehicle and is .shown I as being pivoted-at 9 to the front end ot' the chassis 4. and may also be connected to an convenient part ot the vehielelfiy a cushioning device. comprisingr rod 10 telescopic in i a sleeve 11. within which is spring 1Q whereby the jeeted outwardly.

an expansive rod 10 may be. pro- The screened trame G may be adjusted in a substantially vertical position in front of the vehicle, and at. the lower horizontal edge of this frame is be mounted in any appro- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 27, 1911, Serial N o. 617,251.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Renewed September 9, 1912. Serial No. 719,413.

formed a pivot 13, on which may be mounted in suitable restraining supports Qla :toot or apron 14. Upon the apron 14 mounted a transverse shaft 15, loosely supporting adjacent. to its ends gears 1G. to which are connected ends of powerful springs 17. These are effective to revolve the gears 1G whereby a suitably shaped and proportioned basket- 18 is actuated.

The device or basket 1S is preferably constructed of some strong, slightly tiexible ma* terial, such as iron or steel. and is provided on its end surfaces with racks 19 termine' an irregular curve corresponding' to the curvature ot the basket- 18, which in cross section is substantially arcuate.

The .racks 10 formed upon the lower surtace ot the basket 18 engage the upper teeth ot the gears 14". For the purpose of con* stantly retainiiip; the racks and gears in mesh. a longitudinalljr mounted roller 20 extends across the upper surface ot' the basket or pick-up device .1S and is mounted in end bearings Q1. between which may move baekwardly the basket 1S.

The 'front longitudinal portion ot the baS- ket 1S 'formed with a substantially hookshaped portion and when the basket has been moved forwardly inte the position .shown in full lines in Fili'. "2. a rod or frame 2l .sliduble in suit on the aprom'ht-/and the Vtrame (i is adapted to re train"the basket 18 in its upwardly and forwardly extended position against the tension of the spring'.w 1T connected to and actuating' the `fears 1G. One end of each spring' 1T connected to its respective `rear and the other cud to the .stationary Shaft l5 upon which the gears turn. Yhcn the basket 1S is pulled forwardly over thegears it windsl the springs 1T about the shaft 15.

The normal direction of rotation ot the .e'earsl ttt under the impulse ot the springs iT is such that.'whcn permitted. the gears lli revolve toward the right in Fig. Q. and. heine in mesh with the rat-ks it). move the lbasket 1H rearwardly. The lower rear edge et this basket' is provided with an antitrietion device. as a roller 32%. which may be permitted to travel on the ground when the 'basket I8 has been projected rearwardly and downwardly with sutiicient rapidity.

For the purpose ot' normally advancing the rear cud ot' the basket 1S, upon which is mounted the roller 3 there 1s rovided aable bearings provided' v roller 34 mounted upon the end of a rod 23 guided in a suitable bearing Q4 attached to theaproii 14; and mounted within the bear iiig 21 and surrounding the rod 23 is a strong spring 25 effective to thrust the roller 34 forwardly when the basket 18 has been peiniitted to move.

When the restraining rod 21 has been moved forwardly to sustain the basket- 1S in the full line position shown in Fig. Q, pawls Q6 pivoted on the apron 14 engage respective ratchet wheels 2T fixed to `each of the gears 1G. Each of the pawls 26 is provided with a point 28 resting upon respective cams '29 secured upon the rearwardly eX- teiiding portions of the retaining device 21. wWhen the forward, downwardly curved edge of the basket 1S encounters an obstruction in the roadway, the member 21 is moved slightly backward, due to the spring of the basket 18, and this slight backward movement of the device Z1 is effective through the cams Q9 to lift the pawls lo sullieiently to carry them out of register with their respective ratchet wheels 27; the latter, being released, permit the gears lt' to be rapidly revolved by their respect-ive springs 17. Vhen thus released. the basket 1S is rapidly moved in the direction indicated by the arM row a, Fig. Q, and then the roller 31 becomes effective tol move forward the aiitifriction roller 33 attached to the. rear depending portion of the basket 18.

The combined forces, due to the action of the spring 25 and the springs 1T, elfective thiough the gears 1t), cause the roller Sil to move slightly downward and forward to pick up any object which might happen to have fallen beneath the apron 14; and the motion of the basket 1S is continued until it is carried to the 1position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

It is desirable thatthe resti'aiiiing device Q1 be automatically withdrawn rearwardly when the basket 18 is released for operation, and this rearward withdrawal of the device Q1 is accomplished by means of springs 3() connected to\lcvers 31 pivoted on the rear side of the frame 6, which levers are adapt- 1 ed to engage collars 32 secured on the rear ends of the restraining device 2l.

The levers 3l do iiot become effective to i recede the device Q1 until the latter has moved sufficiently rearward to release the restraining pawls QG, after which movement l the levers 31 swing about their pivots so that the upper ends of the levers will engage the end faces of the collars 32. and the force backwardly the frame 21.

Having thus described my invention, what ent isiiecting said screen to the` vehicle, a substan-` tially horizontal apron pivoted to the lower end of the aforesaid screen, a lift-ing device mounted upon said apron, and means for automatically moving said liftingdevice so as to permit it to move in a sweeping path to pick up objects in fioiit of the vehicle.

2. A fender for vehicles comprising a substantially vertical screen, means for connecting said screen to the vehicle, a substantially horizontal apron pivoted to the lower end of the aforesaid screen, a lifting device mounted upon said apron, means for ai'itomaticallzyr moving said lifting device so as to permit it to move ina sweeping path to -piek up objects in front of the, vehicle, said actuating means comprising gears meshing with racks attached to the lower surface of the lifting device, and springs effective to rotate said gears.

3. A fender for vehicles comprising a substantially vertical screen, means for connecting said screen to the vehicle, a substantially horizontal aproirpivoted to the' lower end'of the aforesaid screen, a lifting device mounted upon said apron, means foi' automatically moving said lifting device so as to permit it to move in a sweeping path to pick up objects in front' of the vehicle, said actuating means comprising gears meshing with racks attached to the lower surface of the lifting device, springs effective to rotate Said gears, and means whereby the actuating gears may be. restrained. l

4. A fender for vehicles comprising a substaiitiallv vertical screen, means for connecting sait. --crceii to the vehicle, a substantially horizontal apron pivoted to the lower end of the aforesaid screen, a lifting device mounted upon said apron, means for automatically moving said lifting device so as to permit it io move in a sweeping path to pick up objects in front of the vehicle, said actuating means comprising gears meshing with racks attached to the lower surface of the lifting device, springs effective to rovtale said gears, and means whereby the acmoving` said liftingl device so as to ermit it of the springs 30 will be effective to slide to move in a sweeping path to pic( up objects in front of the vehicle` said actuating means comprising gears meshing with racks l attached to the lower surface of the lifting device, springs eil'ectivc to rotate said gears,

1. A fender for vehicles comprising a substantially vertical screen, means for coni means whereby the actuatnggears may be restrained, said means including a frame noiafieo slidably `mounted upon the apron having In testimony whereof I have hereunto set cams adapted to release pawls engaging said my hand in the presence of two subscribing gears, and an instrumentality for rearwardly Witnesses. l

moving the restraining frame, said instru- ARTIE L. RAVEN. mentality including rollers secured upon said Nitnessesr frame, levers engageable with said rollers G, H. STRONG,

and surings for actuating said levers. E. E. SMITH. 

